Pānui #021
Kei ngā uri o Pāoa puku nui, Pāoa taringa rahirahi nei rā ngā mihi. He nui ngā wānanga me ngā hui i tū i te marama nei, ā, ara mai he kaupapa anō hei ngā wiki, me ngā marama e whai ake nei, nō reira kia kaha te whakapiripiri mai. Mei kore ake koutou te hunga e kaha hāpai nei ngā kaupapa maha o te wā, e whanake ai ngā taonga o rātou mā. Ka tika rā ki te tuku mihi ki te kūini, ki a Nga wai hono i te po i tōna koroneihana tuatahi ka tū i ngā rangi tata nei ki Ngaruawāhia, ko ngā whakaaro nui ki a ia.
Another busy month for our iwi, and we continue to encourage you join us, and share with your whānau upcoming wānanga, hui and kaupapa as they develop! A special mention to those that continue to support, participate, and contribute to our wānanga as we seek to reconnect, hold and develop the treasures our tūpuna.
E whai ake nei ngā taipitopito kōrero mō tēnei marama.
Ki Tua o Matariki and Te Whare Piringa
Kua tuwhera anō ngā tatau o Te Whare Piringa ki te hapori. Inā te rawe o te piri tahi ki te hapori me ngā karangatanga maha i ngā wiki kua hipa.
On 22 July, Te Whare Piringa in Glen Innes, now in the care of Ngāti Pāoa, was officially re-opened, alongside the launch of the Ngāti Pāoa health and social service organisation, Ki Tua o Matariki (formerly E Tipu e Rea Whānau Services). From this revitalised space, Ki Tua o Matariki will serve Ngāti Pāoa whānau and the wider community.
The celebration brought together board members of Ki Tua o Matariki and the Ngāti Pāoa Iwi Trust, with kaimahi, stakeholders, kaupapa Māori services, and community members from both the local area and across Tāmaki Makaurau. Nearly 90 people attended. We were especially honoured by the presence of tamariki nohinohi from kōhanga reo and rangatahi from Tāmaki College, Te Kapa Haka o Te Waimokoia, whose powerful performances paid tribute to the whenua and enduring legacy of Ngāti Pāoa.
Our new name, Ki Tua o Matariki, together with our guiding purpose ‘Oranga Whānau, Oranga Mokopuna’, reflects our vision to support the wellbeing of all whānau. This vision was beautifully symbolised on the day with the planting of pā harakeke, representing a thriving village where our pakeke are well, and our young parents and their pēpi are supported, and our mokopuna flourish.
The Journey to Ki Tua o Matariki (Ngāti Pāoa Health and Social Service)
Our story began in 2010, when Thrive was established as a charitable trust, to support young parents and their pēpi in Tāmaki. Thrive later became E Tipu e Rea Whānau Services, continuing the vision of walking alongside whānau.
In 2020, with the appointment of Zoe Witika-Hawke (Ngāti Pāoa, Ngāti Hako) as CEO, we entered a new chapter. Zoe initiated a partnership with Ngāti Pāoa Iwi Trust, grounding our mahi in Ngāti Pāoa aspirations. This strengthened our kaupapa, with a focus on uplifting the hauora of our pā harakeke - our Pāoa village. Oranga Whānau, Oranga Mokopuna: when our whānau are well, our mokopuna thrive.
As the health and social service arm of Ngāti Pāoa, we now provide a wide range of supports - from housing, employment, social care, and leadership wānanga, to counselling, midwifery, rongoā, tūpuna parenting, wānanga hapūtanga, Tākaro ki Tua (our Mobile Māori Play Group), and support for initiatives such as Te Korowai Aroha. While young parents and their pēpi remain our core focus, we also strengthen the wider village that surrounds them.
Our rebrand to Ki Tua o Matariki, supported by Ngāti Pāoa Iwi Trust and shaped by our Ki Tua o Matariki board members Rangitahi Pompey and Te Wai Barbarich-Unasa, with cultural advisor Harley Wade, reflects our pā harakeke vision for the future. Drawn from a karakia in the Ngāti Pāoa Deed of Settlement, the name symbolises our commitment to rangatiratanga, hauora, and reclaiming pre-colonial practices for future generations to enhance the wellbeing of our village.
Our Ki Tua o Matariki tohu depicts a waka, the layers of the pā harakeke, and the beak of the pākura. It symbolises our waka always moving forward, together - navigating the waters with resilience and determination, like the pākura - towards our destination and beyond.
Te Taiao Wānanga ki Piritahi Marae
On Friday 18 July, a rōpū of 40 members from Ngāti Pāoa gathered at Piritahi Marae on Waiheke for a wānanga on Mātauranga Māori and Te Taiao. The presenters were Dr Rob Whitbourne (Te Whānau ā Apanui), Graeme Atkins (Ngāti Porou), and Wiremu “Wongy” Wharepapa (Te Whānau ā Apanui). All are connected to the Raukūmara Pae Maunga project, the largest iwi-led conservation initiative in the North Island. “Their depth of knowledge of the ngahere is unmatched,” shared Miranda Andrews. These three widely respected voices were brought to Waiheke through Te Korowai o Waiheke, with iwi engagement funding from Foundation North.
Following pōwhiri and satisfied puku, the rōpū settled into an evening of whakawhanaungatanga. Many had travelled long distances to attend, and for some it was their first time on Waiheke, and their first welcome onto Piritahi Marae.
Saturday began with a hearty breakfast (a huge mihi to the Māori Women’s Welfare League for catering the wānanga) before returning to the wharenui. Te Korowai o Waiheke’s Project Leader, Jenny Holmes, gave an overview of the charitable trust; Stoat Operations Manager, Frank Lepera, presented on the stoat control programme; and Engagement & Communications Manager, Steve Cook, shared the successes so far in wildlife returning to Waiheke.
The three kaikōrero then took the stage: Graeme spoke first about his 30-plus years with DOC; Wongy shared his proud upbringing and deep aroha for the Raukūmara; and Rob covered the spaces in between. Rob and Graeme also led a short plant identification exercise, bouncing stories and knowledge between them - a clear reflection of a friendship forged over decades.
After lunch, the group headed to Whakanewha Regional Park for a slow hīkoi to the pā site, with Graeme and Rob sharing their expertise along the way. “At the kūmara pits, we reflected on how our tūpuna once thrived here, sustaining our people - a moment that felt truly meaningful for all present” shares Miranda.
Photo Credit: Lucy Tukua
Wānanga Pākē
I whakakotahi ētahi uri ki te whatu pākē i ngā wiki kua taha ake nei. E tika ana kia mihi atu ki te hunga whakahaere me ngā ringa rehe o te wānanga, arā ki a Whaea Lorna rāua ko Whaea Tania. Mō te manawaroa me te ngakau nui kāore e tū atu i a kōrua ki te whakaako mai i ngā mahi ā ngā tūpuna.
Earlier this month, a dedicated rōpū gathered at Te Poho o Tāmaki Marae, Tāmaki College, to weave pākē (rain capes). While the kaupapa of pākē drew everyone together, the wānanga affirmed whakapapa, mātauranga, and whanaungatanga for those who attended. Among the rōpū was Helena Maxwell, who attended with her daughter. Together they wove their very first pākē. Helena said: “the wairua, the mauri, the ihi that was shared amongst us all was ātaahua… my appreciation for our kaimahi raranga, our tohunga raranga, has reached new depths. I have always held them in awe, but that feeling has only grown stronger.”
The pākē woven at the wānanga are set to be worn during the third reading of the Ngāti Pāoa settlement in coming months.
Kiwi ki Waiheke Update
The Kiwi team on Waiheke has found that the released kiwi are thriving, with many gaining significant weight at their recent health check. A few females have even put on nearly half a kilo since their translocation three months ago - an encouraging sign that there is plenty of food available.
Another exciting observation is a pair that had bonded before the move have stayed together and have begun nesting. While nesting can be delicate, with a three-month incubation period where things don’t always go to plan, this is a very positive sign that the kiwi are settling in well.
These outcomes are the result of a huge collective effort, from landowners and volunteer kiwi monitors to Te Korowai o Waiheke, the wider Waiheke community, and mana whenua.
Ngāti Pāoa stories in the media
Some of our iwi members have been busy restoring pāua numbers at Waiheke, featured on The Hui.
If you haven’t already, have a watch e te whānau!
Taringa Podcast Iwi o te Wiki- Ngāti Pāoa
Ngāti Pāoa were selected as the iwi of the wiki on the Taringa Podcast. Tūrei Peeke was the guest speaker.
Kia taringa pīkarikari koutou mā!
